SAE Institute names DJ contest winner

Dubai, April 14, 2008

SAE Institute Dubai has announced the winner of its DJ competition, which was run in conjunction with Radio 1, Venuetech & M-Audio.

The competition was open to all non professional DJs with prizes to include the SAE Electronic Music Production Course, cutting edge M-Audio Torq Xponent mixing console and professional Sennheiser HD 25-1 Pro DJ Headphones.

The DJ competition coincided with SAE’s launch of the hugely popular DJ Digital Course.

Firas Ali Haffar, 19 year-old, Syrian national won of the DJ Competition.

A university student of Business Administration & Finance, Firas’s free time is consumed by his love for DJing. He hones his skills on the decks, learning the craft of being a DJ and hopes to one day fulfill his dream of becoming a professional DJ.

“It’s truly unbelievable that 1 won this competition. I am aware of the vast number of people who entered the competition and it was a real buzz to be the final winner. I can’t thank SAE enough for supporting guys like me and I’ll always remember SAE to be my inspiration to become the best DJ I can be,” Firas said.

“We’re very appreciative of our association with Radio 1, M-Audio & Venutech in running the DJ competition and look forward to a sustained partnership in the future,” said SAE Institute Associate Regional Director for Asia & Middle East Alex Gehrig.

“The DJ competition was very successful and was designed to bring together aspiring DJs in the country and offer them the change to enhance their skills by winning SAE’s EMP Course. With our ongoing Digital DJ and Electronic Music Production Courses, we hope that we have become the number one choice as a place to study for students wishing to follow through in this field,” he said.

“We acknowledge the growing importance of the DJ scene in the UAE and in the Middle East and we hope to be able to channel our educational services to all aspiring DJs through one of our 3 campuses in the region,” said Gehrig.

The competition, which searched for the best DJ in town, was open to all those aged between 17 and 25, excluding professional DJs.

Entries had to be in the form of a 30 minute House Music sample. A panel of judges ranging from industry professionals to SAE audio lecturers chose the most talented DJ.The winner now has the chance to further augment his skills by taking part in SAE’s Electronic Music Production (EMP) Course.

The 12-week internationally recognised EMP Course provides an opportunity for music enthusiasts to unleash their passion for sound on the best music equipment and train with international industry experts.

The programme encourages individualism and combines the fundamentals of electronic music production with practical experimentation and personal creativity.

Included in the final cache of prizes is the M-Audio Torq Xponent, a cutting-edge integrated hardware/software DJ performance and production system which brings professional-grade control to the world of the computer-based DJ.